Beet-harvester



Nl. KANZAKI.

BEET HARVESTER. APPLICATION FILED MAR..15,|919.

Patented Jan. 13,1920. 3 SHEETSQSHEET l.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY IVI. KANZAK.

l BEET HARVESTER. APPLICATION man MAR,.15.1919.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

IIlll INVENTOR ATTORNEY,

IVI. KANZAKI.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.15. 1919.

El 328, 21 Patented J an. 13, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTR gygy/77g ATTORNEY MATSUNOSUKE KANZAKI, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

BEET-HARVESTER.

ncaa-asi.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 13, 1920- Application led March 15, 191,9.l Serial No. 282,956.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that l, MATsUNosUKn KAN- ZAKI, a citizen of Japan, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful linprovements in Beet-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to beet harvesters, and has for its object to provide a beet harvester having any of the well known forni of plows for loosening the beets in the ground, and a new and novel means'to engage the beet body and raise the individual beet out of the soil, impale the beet on' a foliage shifter, sever the foliage and crown of the beet from the body, and carry the topped beet to either side of the machine and the severed foliage to the opposite side.

These objects I accomplish with the machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several gures and as described in the specification forming a part of this application and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which I have shown a substantial embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, parts shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine parts shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. l is a vertical section on line 4 4: of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical elevation showing in detail the worm gear, shaft, bearing sleeve and spider. Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of one of the bearing blocks and collars. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the lever release. Fig. 8 is a side or edge view and a front view of the links of the elevator chain.

The present invention consists of a rectangular frame A which is carried upon two wheels B by being mounted on the U-shaped axle C of said wheels. Another frame D has one end portion pivoted on the U-portion of said axle and the other end pivoted to and above said frame A by the supports 1. With the driver seated in a seat, which may be fastened on the rear of said frame A, the machine will be practically balanced on the said axle support. An internal gear wheel 2 is secured on the spokes of .one of said wheels B by which motion is imparted to the other elements of my machine. A

horizontally disposed shaft 3 has a pinion.l l

gear A on one end, the teeth of which .engage with the teeth of said internal gear wheel 2, and said shaft is journaled in bearings 5 which are suspended from said axle C. A gear wheel 6 is secured on the opposite end of said shaft 3 from the pinion gear 4, and the teeth of said gear' wheel 6 mesh with the teeth of a gear wheel 7 which is secured on or formed integral with a sprocket wheel 8, that is journaled medially on the said axle C. The bearing for said sprocket wheel 8 consists of a split bearing, which is fastened within said wheel and on said axle after it has been inserted axially in the wheel. duplicate bearing blocks 9, each of which blocks has a longitudinal channel 10 out therein, and when placed on said axle C, which is square at its medial portion, the said axle will fill both'of said channels 10. The said blocks 9 are held in place and the said sprocket wheel thereon by the collars 11 which are passed over the end portions of said blocks and fastened by set screws which engage said axle. A lower sprocket wheel 12 is mounted and operated between the braces 13, the upper ends of which braces are fastened to said axle C and the lower ends are held in place by braces l1 connected with said frame A, at the rear. A sprocket chain H is operated over said sprocket wheels 8 and 12 and is themeans for carrying the beets from the ground to the topping position, and thereafter the bodies of the beets over the said sprocket wheel 8 and until released from said chain by the bifurcated end 14 of the beet chute 15. The said chain H is made up of links 16 and 17; on the links 16 are secured the laterally projecting pins 18. Another sprocket wheel 19 i-s secured on said shaft 3 and the sprocket chain 20 connects said shaft 3 with another shaft 21, which is jour- .naled on said frame D. On the said shaft 21 is secured a worm pinion 22 which'engages with the worm gears 23 and 24. The worm gear23 is journaled in bearings secured to the said frame D, which worm gear has a vertical shaft 23. A bearing sleeve 25 is carried on the upper portion of said shaft 23, on whichl sleeve bearing 25 is secured one side of a clutch 30. The other side piece of said clutch is secured on said The said bearing, consists of twol shaft 23 above said worin gear 23. rlhe topping knife 40 consisting of two radially disposed curved blades is secured on the upper portion of said sleeve bearing 25. Another portion of said sleeve bearing has an annular groove cut therearound in which one endof a lever 27 engages. The said lever 27 is bifurcated to engage in said groove, similar to the groove shown at 26 in Fig. 5, in order that said sleeve bearing may be raised or lowered and thereby bring the two sides of said clutch into engagement when desired. The worm gear 24 is carried on the lower portion of a vertical shaft 28 which is journaled in bearing secured to said frame D. 0n the upper portion of said shaft 28 is carried a sleeve bearing 29, on which is secured one leaf or side of another clutch 31, the opposite member of which clutch is secured on and rotates with said worm gear 24. rThe connection between said worm gear 24 and the upper member of clutch 31 is a housing or outer sleeve 50, and the said sleeve bearing 29 may be moved vertically within said outer sleeve 50 and the upper clutch member 31. Une

' end of said lever 27 engages in a groove 26 cut in said sleeve bearing 29. @n the upper end of said sleeve bearing 29 is fastened a spider member 32 having a plurality of legs, shown as four, and preferably made of pipe, which extend radially outward to form the foliaO'e enoaoine members c 23 n o The said members Gr each consists of a piece of pipe 33 in the free end'of which is slidably held a foliage point 34 yieldingly held to protrude beyond the end of said pipe 33 by a spiral spring 35 operable between the inside of said pipe and said point 34. Badially disposed trip rods 36 are fastened at their axial ends to the said spider member 32 and a lever release 37 is fastened on said frame D against which said rods engage, to move the lever 27. See Fig. 7. The said lever release 37 consists of a forwardly extended inclined bar against which -said rods 36 engage. Two spaced apart and oppositely curved guide runners 33 are secured at their rear ends to the vertical braces 13 and extend outwardly in front of said sprocket wheel 12,' and said guide runners are connected to a foot lever 42 by the horizontal link rods 43. The operation of my machine is as follows:

The machine is to be drawn along a row of beets, which are to be loosened by the plows 44. And in order that the depth may be regulated to which said plows may be operated a hand lever 45 is provided on said axle C by which the U portion of said aXle may be moved toward the rear end of the machine and said frame D shifted thereby raising said plows and sprocket wheel 12 free of the ground, or the lever Vmay be moved forward lowering` them and engaging the soil to the depth desired. With the rotation of said wheels B and the gear wheel 2 motion is imparted through the pinion gear 4 to the shaft 3, and from said shaft through the sprocket wheel 19 and chain 2O to the topping knives and foliage shifter'. Motion is also imparted to the beet elevating means by the gear wheel 7 which is secured on the side of the main elevator sprocket. As said sprocket wheel 3 is rotated the chain H is operated over the sprocket wheel 12 and the chain is made to partially travel in the furrow of said plows. llihen the lower reach of chain is passed around the sprocket wheel 12 the pins 18 will engage any beet encountered and the beet will be raised out of the ground and furrow and carried upward on the chain in the path of one of the foliage engaging points 34. When the beet is brought into contact with said point 34 the beet will be impaled thereon and steadied, and the spiderI 32 will be raised, with the shaft 28. The lever 27, which is fulcrumed over the front cross piece of said frame D, will be tilted and the end portion connected with said spider will be raised, while the other end connected with the bearing sleeve 25 will be lowered. The lowering of this end of the lever will cause the two portions of the clutch 30 to engage and the knife 40 will be rotated with the sleeve 25 and sever the foliage and crown of the beet from the body. The knife will be turned against the travel of the foliage and the foliage and crown being impaled on the point 34 in one of the legs 33 of the foliage carrier, and held against the impact of the knife 40 will be dropped at one side of the row of beets. rfhe body of the topped beet will be retained on the pins 18 of the chain and carried by said chain over the said sprocket wheel 8 and against the bifurcated end 14, of'the chute l5, and released thereby and fall into said chute and be directed and deposited at either side of the machine as desired, by a directing board which is not shown. After the foliage is severed from the body of the beet the foliage is directed by the leg 33 to one side as described above. The raising of the spider 32, and the tilting of said lever 27 to engage the topping elements also raises the other member of the clutch 31 into engagement with its coacting part and the ro tation of said worm gear 24 will be imparted through the clutch 31 to the spider 32 which will be rotated with said shaft 28. When the trip rod 36 engages the lever release, the free end of said rod will be moved under the downwardly inclined edge of the bar 37 and the downward movement of said rod will be imparted through the spider 32 and sleeve bearing 29 to the lever 27, and thereby disengage both clutches, 3() and 31. The slight swing of the guide runners 38 to follow the individual beet, as it may be grown to the right or left of a direct row, is secured by the operator moving the foot lever 42 with either foot as desired; and as said runners 38 are secured on the braces 13 of the lower sprocket wheel 12; said braces are to be made of spring metal such as a blade of steel and, the shaft of the sprocket 12 will be shifted from its normal position enough to direct the sprocket wheel tothe right orleft with said runners 3S.` `This will require the attention of the operator but will direct the chain H so that the body of every beet will be engaged by the pins 18 and carried out of the soil by said chain.

Having thus described my invention I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim 1. In a beet harvester the combination with groundwheels of a U-shaped axle in said wheels; a frame carried on said axle: another frame having one end pivoted on said axle and the other end pivoted on the first mentioned frame; van internal gear wheel secured on and rotatable with one of the said ground wheels; a shaft mounted on the second mentioned frame; a pinion on one end of said shaft; the teeth of which engage the teeth of said gear wheel; a sprocket wheel journaled on the said U-shaped axle; a gear on one side of said sprocket wheel; a pinion gear on said shaft the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of the gear on the sprocket wheel; a counter shaft mounted on the second mentioned frame; operating means between said shafts; a sprocket wheel mounted between braces and adapted to engage the ground; a sprocket chain operable over said sprocket wheels; laterally projecting pins secured in the alternate links of said chain; a worm on said counter shaft; worm gears engaging said worin; a vertical shaft in each gear; a bearing sleeve carried on one of said shafts; a clutch to engage the said sleeve and the adjacent worm gear; a topping knife secured on said bearing sleeve; a spider secured on the other vertical shaft and rotatable therewith; a clutch adapted to connect said spider and the other of said worm gears; and a lever adapted to engage said clutches with their respective elements.

2. In a beet harvester the `combination with ground wheels, of a U-shaped axle in said wheels; a frame carried on said axle;

a sprocket wheel journaled on said axle;` another sprocket wheel mounted between vertical braces and adapted to engage in the ground; a sprocket chain operable over said sprocket wheels; laterally projecting pins secured in the alternate links of said chain; a horizontal shaft mounted on the forward portion of said frame; means to impart the l motion of one of said ground wheels to said shaft; a worm on said shaft; worm gears engaged by said worm; a topping knife adapted to be rotated by one of said worm gears; a foliage shifter adapted to be moved on its axis by the other one of said worm gears; means to engage said knife and s'aid foliage shifter with their respective worm gears and a lever release to disengage said knife and said foliage shifter from said worm gears.

3. In a beet harvester the combination with ground wheels, of a U-shaped axle in said wheels; a frame carried on said axle; a sprocket wheel journaled on said axle; another sprocket wheel mounted between vertical braces and adapted to engage in the ground; a sprocket chain operable over said sprocket wheels; laterally projecting pins secured in the alternate links of said chain; a horizontal shaft mounted on the forward portion of said frame; means to impart the motion of one of said ground wheels to said shaft; a worm on said shaft; l

respective shafts Ofeach of said worm gears; a lever to engage and disengage said clutches with their respective worm gears and a lever release to move said lever.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature. l

MATsUNosUKE KANZAKI. 

